ALUMNI Edge Hill University Alumni Magazine
Issue 09
Eve Woerdenweber Meet Gogglebox’s
Chatting about Life On and Off the Box
– Celebrating Sport – The Bingley Years – 10 years of PR – Alumni Catch-Up Day
Contents
04 UNIVERSITY NEWS
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06 VICE-CHANCELLOR’S WELCOME 07 INTERVIEW: EVE WOERDENWEBER 10 REFLECTING ON UNIVERSITY OF THE YEAR ACHIEVEMENTS 12 THE BINGLEY YEARS 16 CELEBRATING SPORT 20 RESEARCH: COUNTING ON SUCCESS
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22 10 YEARS OF PR 23 PROFILE: PAUL CULLEN 24 ALUMNI CATCH-UP DAY 26 MONOPOLY 27 PROFILE: LAURA OWEN 28 RESEARCH: TACKLING THE STIGMA OF SUICIDE 30 BETTER AT HOME SUITE 32 PROFILE: ALISON HUNT
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33 PROFILE: FAISAL AHMED 34 ANIMATION IS CHILD’S PLAY FOR JAMIE 36 ESPRIT TOUR SERVICES 38 EHU PRESS 40 PROFILE: KURT TUTTY 41 PROFILE: ALAN PRICE
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42 GRADUATES ON TRACK FOR SUCCESS 44 MY EDGE HILL 46 LETTERS
ALUMNI
Edge Hill University Alumni Magazine Published by Edge Hill University Editor: Hayley Rothwell Copywriter: Sophie Wilcockson Contributors: Mark Flinn, Suzanne Elsworth, Sara Callan Photography: Stuart Rayner, Phil Tragen, Yui Mok/PA Wire, Tim Bekir of THET Design: Andy Butler If you have any comments, changes to personal details, or wish to be included in future editions, email alumni@edgehill.ac.uk or write to Sara Callan, Alumni Team, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, L39 4QP. Alternatively you can update your personal details via the Edge Hill Alumni Network at edgehill.ac.uk/alumni
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Welcome elcome to the latest edition of Alumni – the magazine for and about former students of Edge Hill University.
Last year’s University of the Year award has highlighted the continuing success of the University, and has allowed us to offer a wider range of opportunities and experiences to our students.
This issue celebrates the careers of graduates in a diverse range of fields, from a Celebrity and VIP Manager at a top charity and a Coronation Street Script Editor in the showbiz world, to a lifesaving organ transplant and retrieval team member who flies all over the country at the drop of a hat. We also feature two Heads of Department in secondary schools and a PhD student who is completing life-changing research into the damaging effects of alcohol on unborn babies.
We look at the vast array of research carried out at Edge Hill, including a lifesaving collaboration with hospitals in India to tackle suicide and Every Child Counts – developed by academics to help children who struggle with numeracy and literacy.
We take a nostalgic look back to the years Edge Hill students spent in Bingley in the 1930s, with former students discussing their memories and the vast differences between Edge Hill past and present, and share photographs from last year’s popular Alumni Catch-Up Day.
We also take a glimpse into brand new state-of-the-art campus facilities including the Better at Home Suite, an innovative training resource for families with complex medical needs, and our new £30m Sports Centre. If you would like to share any of your fantastic achievements interesting jobs, memories of Edge Hill or ideas for articles, please get in touch. We always love to hear from you!
Best wishes, The Alumni Team
News More students to live on campus
The University’s newest Halls of Residence opened its doors in September 2015, meaning more than 2,000 students can now be accommodated on campus.
The new buildings, called Palatine Court, are phase 10 of the residential programme and add a further 144 rooms to the University’s ever-expanding on-site accommodation. Located at the front of the campus, close to Forest Court, the accommodation consists of four Halls of Residence - Carrington, Glazebrook, Pankhurst and Roscoe - named after notable Lancashire people from within the historic boundaries of the county.
The lucky first residents enjoyed a range of hi-spec features, including en-suite bedrooms complete with flat screen computer which can be enabled to receive Freeview TV, large shared kitchens and living areas with LCD Freeview TVs.
Local authority planners have recently given the green light for another accommodation block to be built to the south of the original entrance on St Helens Road. The new, as-yetunnamed, Halls of Residence will provide 168 single-study en-suite bedrooms, bringing the total number of students that can live on campus to 2,259. The building is due to be completed for the start of the 2016/17 academic year.
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Safety first
Edge Hill has retained its status as the safest university in the North West for the fourth year running.
The University was ranked top for student safety in the independent Complete University Guide, which uses official police data to give the clearest picture possible of the crime rates for almost 130 universities and other higher education institutions and their immediate neighbourhoods in England and Wales.
In the survey, which was conducted in September 2015, Edge Hill was found to have the lowest crime rates of any of the region’s universities and remains in the top 10 of safest universities nationally.
Steve Igoe, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Edge Hill University, said: “It is great to see Edge Hill once again named safest University in the North West. Student safety and the minimising of student-related crime is a key priority, and we are very pleased to see the work of the University and the Students’ Union being recognised with this confirmation.
“The safety of our students is of paramount importance to us and we continue to work closely with partners including the police to ensure that crime remains consistently low. This is undoubtedly helped by the significant investment made by the University in round the clock security and night wardens on campus.”
Photo ©Yui Mok/PA Wire
Creative thinking for challenging times
Edge Hill University welcomed a host of international artists, academics, authors, scientists and filmmakers to campus for its first Festival of Ideas - a diverse range of events exploring culture, health and society.
Entitled Imagining Better, the Festival looked at ways in which communities, arts and healthcare can develop and flourish, even in times of austerity and inequality, through an exciting collection of talks, exhibitions, films and performance. Taking place on campus and at Tate Liverpool from January to April 2016, Imagining Better encouraged crucial discussions and explored new ideas around issues such as children’s rights and citizenship, arts and social justice, innovative strategies for current healthcare issues, racism in sport and cultural identities.
The Festival, which was programmed by the University’s three research institutes, attracted a range of notable speakers, including Professor Jamie Hacker Hughes, President of the British Psychological Society, authors Emy Onura and Jonathan Coe, and filmmaker Terence Davies.
As well as thought-provoking lectures, the Festival also incorporated the Chinese New Year Extravaganza, the Ann Arbor travelling film festival and a season of films celebrating the role of women in effecting change, a showcase of photographs by homeless people and an exhibition of contemporary Islamic art.
CBE for Vice-Chancellor
Dr John Cater was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2015 for services to Higher Education and Teacher Training.
The Vice-Chancellor, who was one of 104 outstanding individuals presented with the Commander of the Order of the British Empire, said: “Edge Hill has made tremendous progress over the past 20 years, culminating in last year’s Times Higher Education’s University of the Year award, and this generous recognition is a testament to everything my colleagues have achieved and acknowledges the debt I have to them all.”
Appointed Vice-Chancellor of Edge Hill University in 1993, Dr Cater is the longestserving head of a UK higher education institution. He initially joined Edge Hill as a Geography lecturer and has published extensively on race, housing, economic development and public policy, and co-authored major research studies for the Social Science Research Council, the Commission for Racial Equality and their successor bodies.
Dr Cater is currently chair of the joint Universities UK (UUK) and GuildHE Teacher Education Advisory Group (TEAG). He has been a Director of the Higher Education Careers Service since 1994 and was Chair of Liverpool: City of Learning from 2003-2005. He was also a member of the Department of Health’s Expert Advisory Panel on Nurse Education and Training from 1995-97.
VC’s Message As our time as University of the Year comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting on what winning the award really means for Edge Hill.
Being named University of the Year could be seen as an end point for the University, recognition for many years of hard work, investment in facilities and staff, and continuous improvements in programmes and student support. Having been nominated three times previously, we could see winning the award as the final step on our journey as a sectorleading institution.
However, it is far better to see this accolade as a starting point. Instead of resting on our laurels, we now have a standard to maintain – or even exceed – so that we continue to provide an outstanding experience for our students, now and in the future.
That said, I am often asked how has being named Times Higher ‘University of the Year’ affected Edge Hill? 6
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Firstly, there has been an increase in applications to study at Edge Hill, including a 20 per cent rise in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, where we compete nationally with all UK universities. More importantly, conversions, always well above sector norms, were up on previous years, meaning more students chose us as their preferred place to study.
The award also had an impact on our excellent staff, further increasing their confidence and self-esteem. This builds on Edge Hill being ranked ‘Best University Workplace’ by Times Higher Education (THE) in 2015, and being named the UK’s top employer in the Employer of the Year category of the European Business Awards.
Greater awareness of the University has also led to more external collaborations that allow us to offer a broader range of opportunities and experience to our students. We have established our own successful record label and a new University Press, and are looking forward to undergraduates working with a globally-known writer and director on his next feature film. It is this kind of unique experience that has contributed to Edge Hill’s best-ever graduate employment statistics – well over 95 per cent are in work or further study within six months of leaving, making us one of the top public universities in the country for employable graduates.
So, what’s next for the University of the Year? How do we keep the momentum going?
The campus, as ever, continues to develop with more student accommodation, a £12 million Innovation Hub and new Geosciences labs planned for 2016. We are investing in research, particularly in Graduate Teaching Assistants, and are confident that by the end of the decade our doctoral completions will be in three figures. In 2014, Edge Hill made the biggest improvement in the sector in the national Research Excellence Framework (which assesses the quality of research at UK universities) and we are looking to perform even better in the next assessment in 2021.
All of this shows that being named ‘University of the Year’ has had a positive impact on the University and will undoubtedly help us move up another level. However, our main purpose is not to win awards, as gratifying as it may be, it is to provide opportunities for all students to fulfil their potential. Given this, our commitment to widening participation remains as strong as ever and no matter how high demand for places is, we will always strive to judge students not only on how good they are at the beginning of their course, but how good they could be at the end. John Cater
Profile
Meet Gogglebox’s Eve Woerdenweber When Eve Woerdenweber first applied to study Drama at Edge Hill in 2012, appearing in a BAFTA award winning TV show seemed like the ultimate dream.
Rehearsing for period drama productions in the Arts Centre alongside meetings with the Video Game Society, Eve could never have predicted that when she did make it onto TV she’d be starring as herself alongside her Mum and Stepdad on their own sofa. Although a TV show about people watching TV could have turned out to be as dull as it sounds, since Gogglebox was launched on Channel 4 in 2013 the nation has been glued to its screens watching the unique blend of ordinary families who are often hilarious, occasionally outrageous and frequently heart-warming.
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How were you chosen to appear on Gogglebox? We were actually approached to audition for the show. I was working in my Mum’s shop at the time and the Producers had been asking around the other market stalls for people who they thought might be interesting to film. Someone told them ‘Eve will definitely do it!’ and they asked me if we’d audition.
I had to persuade my family a bit, the first season of the show had already aired at that point so we’d heard of it but it wasn’t really popular yet so we just gave it a go and behaved the same way as we always do.
What’s it like appearing on the show – is it as realistic as it looks? Definitely! There’s a small crew who arrive to set all of the cameras up and they sit in the kitchen while we film, I forget they’re there at all after two minutes and we act like we always do when we watch TV together. We’ve had the same crew since we started on the show as well so they’re like part of our extended family, we’re used to bumping into them in the kitchen and when we order a takeaway we make sure we order something for them too. The crew decide what we’re watching but if I really don’t want to watch something I can nip out – there are some things you just don’t want to watch with your parents!
Is anything scripted? Anyone who’s watched the show and has seen my Stepdad will know that it’s 100 per cent unscripted. If it was then I could make him swear less! What you don’t get to see when you watch the show is how long we sit there being filmed for the few minutes of each family they eventually show. There’s no way you can pretend for that long, and it’d come across as false anyway.
Gogglebox has been a huge hit critically and with audiences – what has that been like for you? It’s been amazing, just a life changing experience. The best part is how lovely people are about the show, because they watch you every week everyone feels like they know you and your family so they treat you more like a friend rather than someone off the telly.
I think the best part for me though is how close being on the show has brought my family together. It might sound weird but I’m not a big TV watcher, so filming every week means there’s a lot of allotted time that we spend together and get a chance to talk – it’s made us all so much closer.
Gogglebox was awarded a BAFTA in 2014, what was that like? Winning a BAFTA was amazing, we were watching it on the TV like everyone else when we heard - except we were being filmed! I genuinely didn’t think we’d win, we were up against shows like Educating Yorkshire.
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The crew decide what we’re watching but if I really don’t want to watch something I can nip out – there are some things you just don’t want to watch with your parents!
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I couldn’t believe it, I’m a massive Dr Who fan and all I could think was ‘David Tennant has a BAFTA too!’
I couldn’t believe how heavy the BAFTA was when I got to hold it. We were all given little chocolate versions to eat but I’ve managed to hang onto mine.
Do you get on with the rest of the cast? How often do you all meet up? Believe it or not none of the cast have ever met up. We’re all in touch with each other through social media all of the time and we get on really well, but the idea is that we would never have met if the show hadn’t existed. If we all started meeting up it might change things and if we stop being ordinary people then the show would lose what everyone loves about it.
Did you enjoy your time at University? I loved my time at Edge Hill. My lecturers were fantastic, it was a really exciting challenge and it’s where I met both my best friend and my fiancé so it’s close to my heart!
I was really involved in student life at the University even though I didn’t live on campus. I was juggling filming with a part-time job and full-time study but my lecturers were really understanding and made it so easy for me. Why did you decide to study Drama at Edge Hill? I’ve always loved performing, ever since I was in a school production of The Sound of Music I’ve always known I wanted to act.
I love Victorian dramas and gothic theatre and studying at Edge Hill I got to try my hand at a whole variety of performance. The lecturers in the department made it for me, they always knew when to step in and help you work out ideas and when to trust you to work creatively alone. I’d 100 per cent recommend to anyone who’s interested in performance to study at Edge Hill.
Gogglebox is shown on Channel 4. Past episodes are available to watch on All 4. - on demand
Reflecting on University of the Year achievements
What an incredible 18 months it has been for Edge Hill. The University was named 2014-2015 University of the Year in the 10th annual Times Higher Education (THE) Awards, the most prestigious accolade in the Higher Education sector. This award put Edge Hill in the national spotlight and allowed us to build on our flourishing reputation for innovation in teaching and student satisfaction.
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It is a privilege to work alongside all those who strive to fulfill Edge Hill University’s commitment to changing lives – our staff, our students, our alumni, our Students’ Union, our partners and our friends – and it is rewarding to see this enterprising spirit recognised. I have no doubt that the University will enjoy continued success in the future. Dr John Cater, Vice-Chancellor
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Feature n our time as University of the Year, we continued to build on our successes and focus on the areas that matter most to our staff, students and communities.
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Employability New partnerships with Tate Liverpool, the Everyman Theatre and Liverpool Sound City, alongside the launch of The Label Recordings, Edge Hill’s record label, further increased the employability of our students and offered unique industry insights.
New programmes The introduction of degrees in Computer Software Engineering, Biotechnology and Policing ensured students continue to gain the skills demanded by today’s employers.
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Edge Hill is a great success story, having quietly established itself as an institution that improves and impresses year after year.
Campus developments A new £30 million Sports Centre completed the transformation of the University’s sports provision, providing top of the range facilities for teaching, recreation and community sport, while the John Gill, latest Halls of Residence, Palatine Court, brought the total Times Higher Education editor number of bed spaces on campus to 2,091. National recognition
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National Recognition Edge Hill was awarded Best University Workplace by Times Higher Education, and The Times placed the University top in the North West for Teaching Excellence and in the top four in the region overall. The University achieved its highest placing nationally at 68th, a rise of 59 places in less than ten years, putting us in the top ten of all post-1992 universities. Student satisfaction Our students continued to rate the University highly in the 2015 National Student Satisfaction (NSS) survey, with many subjects voted top in the region, and in the top two nationally. Geography, Physical Geography and Environmental Science degrees performed particularly well, being ranked top in the UK across all questions.
The Bingley Years n 1939, Edge Hill College was enjoying its sixth year in Ormskirk. However, in May of that year, the Principal, E.M Smith was notified that in the event of war, the College’s buildings would be requisitioned as a military hospital. Very shortly after the declaration of hostilities on 1st September 1939, the College left for Bingley in West Yorkshire to share premises with Bingley Teacher Training College.
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Miss Smith wrote in the College Magazine:
“I hurried to Ormskirk before the end of August and began to sort and pack. Mobilization brought soldiers immediately into the building and the staff and I had to work alongside them for a few days. Some property was sent to Bingley and most of the furniture was sent to Widnes to be stored. We finally left on September 4th and I came to establish the college in its new surroundings. We inhabit two Halls (Priestley and Acland) and the students share rooms. The Edge Hill timetable is made to fit the Bingley timetable, so that we all use the classroom, gymnasium and field. In this way it is possible for both Colleges to follow out their normal programmes.” For this reason, there was limited regular contact between Edge Hill and Bingley students.
Bingley College, opened in 1911, was located a mile out of the town centre, up a steep hill nicknamed ‘the struggle’ by students. Betty Leitch (a student from 1944 to 1946) recalls:
“We had to share a room with two beds, a wardrobe, one chair and one small table. There were 20 bedrooms on the floor in Priestley Hall sharing two toilets and two bathrooms. It was very difficult to get a bath. There was one telephone in each hall.” Day-to-day student life in the war years was spartan. Food was rationed and was ‘very boring’ Betty Leitch recollects:
“Each Saturday, four or five students had to help to cook (stew and rice pudding) and deliver it from Hall 1 to the two Edge Hill Halls. It soon got cold. Once a dishcloth was found in the rice pudding – not very nice.” One of the few unrationed pleasures, however, recalled by Isabel Robinson (1944-46) was the tin of NAMCO, a form of cocoa product, in the Common Room.
Feature Clothing was another matter. Esmé Dobby (1939-41) wrote:
“We had all outgrown our own clothes and could not get many new ones. I had three winter dresses, a wool skirt, blouses and jumpers. Shoes were a problem. Stockings were not too bad. For summer I had cotton dresses and a ‘best’ dress and coat and hat for chapel. We had a white dress for the Choral Society and a black hat for school practice! Our blazers were our casual coats and I still have mine! It was of finest Huddersfield cloth in dark green. In many a cold school during the war I was glad of its warmth.......the rest of the uniform was antediluvian. A tunic in navy gabardine with side pleats and V-neck was worn for games over a white blouse. For PT (Physical Training) we had green cotton flimsy tunics, very short with matching knickers and gym shoes and hockey boots completed our kit. You could buy wool in the college colours of purple, green and gold to knit your own scarf. The blazer was edged with matching cord and there was a depressed looking badge allegedly portraying lilies. The motto
was something rambling about virtues from St. Paul. This archaic uniform (along with the black hat) was a ‘source of innocent merriment’ to the Bingley students.”
Students were very reliant on each other for help and support. A kind of mentoring system was put in place, in which each new student had a ‘mother’ in the year above, and acted as a ‘mother’ in their second year.
Trips out of college were (in theory) strictly controlled. Doors were locked at 7pm in winter and 9pm in summer.
Esmé Dobby remembers that occasionally students bent the rules:
“Due to wartime conditions we had to sign out and in when we went to Bingley or the nearby larger city of Bradford. We were supposed to visit Bingley once a week and go to Bradford once a month after queueing up to get permission. A tour around the neighbouring countryside had to be recorded. We used to put down ‘country walk’ and go to Bingley to the cinema, or ‘Bingley’ every Saturday and go to Bradford!”
A range of events and activities kept students busy, all recorded in the annual College Magazine. In November 1939, Ludwig Koch gave a talk on birdsong, ‘illustrated by lantern slides and gramophone records’. In 1943, a ‘grand Youth Conference’ was held, at which ‘two hundred English and foreign young men and women gathered to consider Our World Today and Tomorrow’. The Inter-hall Dramatic Competition was an annual highlight, but the annual College play had to be cancelled at that time owing to limited resources and domestic duties.
Air-raid alarms were regular in the early years of the war: Bradford, in particular, was badly affected, and Esmé Dobby recalls:
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“There was one raid on Bradford, December, 1940, when the Rawson Market and Lingard’s Linen Store were destroyed by oil bombs. This was during the night, a clear frosty one with a bombers’ moon. We heard the crump of the bombs and the thud of the guns echoing up the valley. The Halls were backed up against the hillside with a basement connecting all five underneath. The front of this was sandbagged and the entrance to each hall basement had sandbags before the door.”
“School Practice took place mainly in Leeds, Pudsey, Shipley and Bradford; with additional weekly teaching in Bingley and Keighley. We entered upon the journey to Leeds with trepidation. Early breakfast, the 7:49am train, further travels to schools, the 5pm return with a mile of hills to College seemed too formidable a plan, but the ‘victims’, given the option, afterward pressed for a renewal in March, and a bus from the station to College lightened the end of the day.”
Image ©britainfromabove.or.uk/EPW024454
By 1944, consideration was being given by the government to the post-war era. Miss E.M. Butterworth, who had succeeded Miss Smith as Principal in 1941, brought all students together to announce that female teachers would no longer have to resign following marriage, and noted in the 1944 College Magazine that, “hopefulness is strong.”
School Practice remained, then as now, an important part of students’ lives. The College Magazine of 1944 notes the effort involved in this work:
Betty Leitch remembers an ‘awful’ inner city junior school in Bradford where all the children had bare heads because of lice.
Feature The war ended in 1945 and the Principal cancelled all lectures on VE Day, May 8th. Isabel Robinson remembers, “everyone going for a picnic on Ilkley Moor”.
Edge Hill students joining or returning in autumn 1945 had one further term in Bingley before the move back to Ormskirk in January 1946. Farewells were made: Bingley College entertained Edge Hill at two evening parties, and the Bingley staff were hostesses to the Edge Hill staff on another evening when they gave them a cheque to be spent on ‘something for your staff room at Ormskirk’. Edge Hill presented Bingley with a similar cheque. In the event, ‘recipients made the decision not to spend the gifts at the present time when so much of them would be swallowed up by Purchase Tax’.
Betty Foster (1944-46) was one of the group that returned to Ormskirk a week or a fortnight early in January 1946 to prepare the college. After six years of military occupation, much needed doing:
“I was responsible for books and the library. The floorboards were up (they were being turned upside down owing to the wear caused by army boots), and the library was not ready for books, so I stored the books temporarily in a cupboard under the stairs where there was a skeleton in the corner! The college was in a poor state, and German prisoners of war were working in fields at the back of the site.” Isabel Robinson also noted that “there was still a red cross on the roof of the college, and beds were infested by bedbugs.”
The College had experienced a difficult time, moving premises three times in 13 years, but its move back to Ormskirk in 1946 was to be to its permanent home.
Mark Flinn, former Pro-Vice Chancellor and Co-Author of A Vision of Learning, Edge Hill University 1885 - 2010. The author would like to thank Betty Foster, Betty Leitch and Isabel Robinson for sharing their experiences of the College’s wartime years in Bingley. Esmé Dobby’s recollections are to be found in full on the BBC WW2 People’s War archive at bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar.
Celebrating Sport port has always been a big part of life at Edge Hill, with many former students forging successful careers as professional athletes, coaches or sports therapists. In September 2015, the University launched the final phase of its impressive new sports complex, providing future generations of students with world-class facilities in which to hone their skills and tone their muscles.
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In one of two high-profile events, the new Sports Centre was officially opened by Olympic heptathlete Katarina JohnsonThompson who took a tour of the top-of-the-range facilities and spoke to local schoolchildren who were trying out the new equipment, before unveiling a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion. She opened the building alongside philanthropist, entrepreneur and Edge Hill Honorary graduate Barrie Wells, who has sponsored her throughout her career.
An exercise in sustainability
As part of Edge Hill’s commitment to creating a ‘green campus’, the sports complex was designed to incorporate ecological features and wildlife habitats, including mixed-woodland areas and footpaths linking to nearby Ruff Wood, wildflower meadows, open grassland, a new wildlife pond, structural screen planting and hedgerow replacement. The whole development also features sustainable drainage and low carbon design and building technologies.
The following day, former world athletics champion and Olympic silver medallist Steve Cram CBE opened the University’s new running track as part of his role as Yorkshire Bank ambassador.
Steve, a regular BBC commentator, tried out the new track, cheered on by pupils from St Bede’s Catholic High School, and led some coaching sessions with Edge Hill PE students. The running track is on par with the biggest tracks in the UK, excluding the London Olympic stadium, and is one of the largest in Europe.
Located to the east of the main campus close to the new St Helens Road entrance, the purpose-built, modern Sports Centre completes the University’s £30 million sports complex which also includes international competition standard outdoor facilities for athletics, football, rugby, hockey, tennis and netball, and the indoor sports and teaching facilities of the Wilson Building. As well as benefitting Edge Hill students and staff, the complex is also open to the public and fully accessible, providing the local community with some of the best sporting facilities in the region.
Feature On opening the Sports Centre, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who was born in Woolton in Liverpool, said:
“I’ve been to Edge Hill a number of times, including with a group of schoolchildren and also to see my sponsor Barrie Wells be awarded an Honorary Degree by the University, and it’s fantastic to be back for the opening of this amazing facility.”
Barrie Wells, who has personally sponsored Katarina since she was 15, said:
“Sport has a powerful influence on the lives of many individuals and I am certain that this incredible new facility at Edge Hill will benefit a wide variety of people ranging from students and staff to grassroot level sports and professional athletes. I have seen how sport can also act as a great platform for success in
business – particularly with elite athletes who share many similar qualities with successful business people such as short and long term planning, working under pressure, adapting to changing conditions, determination and competiveness.
“Both Katarina JohnsonThompson and I are truly honoured to open the new Edge Hill Sports Centre and look forward to seeing the positive impact that these top class facilities will have on our next sporting generation.” Dr John Cater, Edge Hill’s Vice-Chancellor, added:
“These sector-leading sports facilities have been ten years and more than £30 million in the making. Top quality outdoor pitches, full-size 3G surfaces for year-round sport, an international standard athletics track and, now, a new Sports Centre, all built to five-star hotel standards. We look forward to providing outstanding facilities to many generations of students and community members in the years to come.”
State of the art facilities
indoors… • 25-metre, 6-lane swimming pool • Sauna and steam room • 80 station fitness suite incorporating the latest in-screen entertainment technology • Aerobic studio • 8 court double sports hall with spectator gallery • 4 court sports hall • Extensive changing rooms • Two sprung floor gymnasiums • Sports injury clinic • Café, roof terrace and social spaces.
And outdoors… • One of the largest running tracks in Europe • Floodlit rugby, hockey and football pitches • Athletics field • Netball courts • 2.5km fitness trail with exercise stations • Tennis courts
Talking Sport Living Life to the Extreme: Sport, Achievement, Endurance
Edge Hill celebrated the further development of its role in the region’s sporting life with free public lectures by two inspirational sportsmen – former rugby international turned extreme adventurer, Richard Parks, and athletics legend Steve Cram.
history in July 2011 by becoming the first person to climb the highest mountain on each of the world’s seven continents and stand on all three poles within seven months.
At the event, Richard signed his first, critically acclaimed book, Beyond the Horizon, which was published in September 2014 and named ‘Rugby Book of the Year’ at the 2015 Cross British Sports Book Awards. He also answered questions and posed for photographs.
When asked how he manages to succeed in some of his toughest challenges and in day-to-day life, Richard said:
In his lecture, extreme athlete, writer and broadcaster, Richard Parks, explained how the psychological, physical, technical and emotional aspects of being an elite sportsman have translated into his extreme expeditions and, in turn, how these are a metaphor for life.
Richard, who drew on his own experiences as an elite sportsman during the talk, is renowned for defying the odds and re-writing the rules about what can be achieved. He made 18
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His record setting “737 Challenge” raised more than £326,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care. In 2014, Richard became the fastest Brit in history – and the first Welsh person – to reach the South Pole solo, unassisted and unsupported, taking an astonishing nine days off the previous record. This remarkable achievement was captured in the Channel 5 series Xtreme Endurance: Race to the Pole which was aired in January 2015.
“Perseverance is key. If you take for granted that all high performance athletes have the right genetics, skills and coaches, at some point we are all going to be faced with challenges in life or in sport. I think the concept of not giving up and perseverance is at the core of what I do and Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb posed the thought, ‘many of life’s failures are people who didn’t realise how close they were to success when they gave up’, and he’s nailed it there for me.”
Feature
The talks were part of the University’s programme of Celebrating Sport events, designed to reflect the growth of sport at Edge Hill since the 1990s, which also included talks by broadcaster Claire Balding and several notable sports academics.
Understanding High Performance
World, European and Commonwealth 1500m champion, Steve Cram, shared stories of his sporting exploits and gave a packed audience insights into the secrets of his success, before answering questions about his remarkable athletics career.
Steve’s rivalry with fellow British runner Sebastian Coe enthralled the public in the 1980s, with Cram finishing a footstep behind Coe in the 1500m final at the 1984 Olympics.
Steve, who has held both the 1500m and mile world records during his career, revealed that his achievements weren’t about having a super talent, but finding something he liked and sticking with it through the ups and downs that inevitably impact on your life. He claimed performance is about perseverance, and the acceptance that you’re not going to win every time, and that “failure is just a staging post on the road to success.
“The secret is finding something you love and working really hard.”
At the elite level, with little between athletes, psychology also plays a major role in winning, according to Cram. Athletes will hold on to even trivial things to give themselves a positive edge. Steve recalled Dame Kelly Holmes telling him that getting her hair braided prior to her 2004 Olympic 800m and 1500m triumphs may have given her the edge over her rivals!
During his talk Cram commented on the impact of investment in sport, noting that lottery funding has enabled many people to build on their
raw talent with quality coaching and facilities. He said: “Talent is everywhere. There’s a Usain Bolt in the UK somewhere – he’s just playing footie or basketball or watching telly.” Steve also praised the new sports complex adding that, as Chancellor of the University of Sunderland, he was “very jealous” of Edge Hill’s outstanding sporting facilities.
Alumni discount
Edge Hill Alumni can benefit from the new facilities with an exclusive discounted membership. Graduates qualify for the Corporate rate which includes access to the fitness suite, swimming pool and sessions in the Get Active programme. Find out more at edgehill.ac.uk/edgehillsport/
Counting on success
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As well as developing targeted interventions for children who fall behind with reading, writing and maths, Every Child Counts (ECC) also trains school staff to deliver the programmes and provide ongoing professional development to support schools. To date, the scheme has trained 16,000 teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) in 5,000 primary schools and helped more than 125,000 children to catch up with their peers.
Every Child Counts currently includes eight interventions, ranging from teacher-led, personalised one-to-one sessions for children who really struggle, to small group sessions led by teaching assistants that build confidence and help children develop core skills.
“The results across all programmes have been outstanding,” said Nick Dowrick, Every Child Counts Director at Edge Hill University, “with children achieving an
average of 12 months improvement for every three months they participate in ECC sessions. Training staff to deliver these programmes not only helps children make progress towards expected attainment levels, it also raises standards across schools and sustains high achievement for all children.”
In January 2015, the Faculty of Education launched the latest Every Child Counts initiative across 60 primary schools or academies in Oxfordshire. Every Child Writes, a two-year programme that focuses on children in years 3 and 4 (seven to nine year olds), aims to improve children’s writing skills as well as their confidence across all subject areas. It includes 1stClass@Writing, an innovative, highly participative new literacy intervention that builds core skills through engaging activities around the theme of pirates or dragonhunting.
Every Child Counts has been so successful, particularly in its targeted use of teaching assistants, that it is the focus of two research projects funded by the Education Endowment Fund (EEF), an independent grant-making charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.
1stClass@Number, one of ECC’s most popular maths interventions, has been selected to be part of a controlled trial involving 120 schools in Yorkshire, with half of the schools training TAs to deliver 1stClass@Number. All children will be tested at the beginning and end of the trial period to assess the impact of the programme.
Edge Hill’s Every Child Counts team is also working with 50 schools in South and West Yorkshire to help them review how they currently use TAs and identify ways in which they could be used more effectively to support children. The TA Advocacy project is part of a large-scale education improvement project, funded by the EEF, which includes 500 schools and has the potential to impact on the outcomes of more than 10,000 pupils.
Research
t’s been eight years since the launch of Every Child Counts, a suite of interventions developed by Edge Hill academics to help children who have difficulties with literacy or numeracy – and its success is now being recognised across the UK and beyond.
Recognition for 1stClass@Number is not confined to the UK education system. Edge Hill’s ECC team has recently signed a contract with the City of Oslo Education Agency to train ten teachers to use the programme. The pilot, which follows other successful international partnerships with schools in the United Arab Emirates and Germany, will last for two terms with children’s outcomes assessed at the beginning and end of the project.
“It’s great to have recognition of what we’re doing outside of the UK,” added Nick, “and the opportunity to reach and support more children who have difficulties with numeracy.”
For more information about Every Child Counts and how it could have an impact on your school, please visit:
everychildcounts.edgehill.ac.uk
Feature
10 years of PR
dge Hill marked the tenth anniversary of its Public Relations degree with a look back at its successes and a look forward into the future of this fastpaced, challenging and ever-changing profession.
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More than 100 staff, students, alumni, practitioners and key figures from the PR industry came together for celebratory evening which included a lecture by Sarah Pinch, President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and Editor of the Liverpool Echo/Editor in Chief of Trinity Mirror Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales, Alastair Machray. 22
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Celebrating ten years of publicity, promotion and press releases
Edge Hill’s Public Relations degree was ranked top in the UK for teaching and top in the North West for overall satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2015.
The lecture, called Facing the Future – Where are PR and journalism going?, gave insights into the future of Public Relations and the media, and highlighted what PR practitioners, students and others need to know when thinking about practice in future years.
“It’s not the same degree as it was 10 years ago,” says Paula Keaveney, Senior Lecturer in Public Relations. “We’re always adding new subjects into the mix. As we’ve gone along we’ve always thought, ‘what do our students need to know?’ and if there’s something that’s not on the course, we add it in. It’s constantly changing, and that’s what I love about it.
“When we introduced the degree back in 2005, Facebook
was less than a year old, Twitter didn’t exist, the first iPhone was two years away, and most people were only watching five TV channels. A lot has happened in 10 years, particularly with technology and the media, so our PR programme has had to change and adapt as well. We don’t know what the next 10 years will bring, but whatever it is, our students will be prepared for it.” The three-year PR degree is renowned for its practical, industry-orientated approach to teaching and learning. Students have the opportunity to experience live campaigns for real clients, go on work placements, network with industry professionals and build up a portfolio of practical work to demonstrate their skills to potential employers.
Imagine a job where you get to rub shoulders with some of the greatest names in showbusiness, and raise awareness of an incredible cause in the process.
s Celebrity and VIP Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, Paul Cullen has worked on all of the charity’s biggest campaigns, and claims the work experience he gained while at Edge Hill helped him on his unusual career path.
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“I knew I wanted a career in the media, but wasn’t entirely sure what that role would be. I had contacted Universal Pictures and managed to get work experience with them in my first year at Edge Hill, then I did a placement in the Easter holidays on the Big Breakfast. I also got work experience on Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush. It was a coup to have the opportunity to work on both. Closer to campus, I was a fairly regular visitor to the This Morning studios at the Albert Dock and could often be seen casually passing in the background behind Richard and Judy.
“In terms of my CV, working on those shows stood me in really good stead. Edge Hill was brilliant in that the tutors encouraged us to seek work experience and gave us the
opportunities to do it. They didn’t set project work during the holidays, for example; they wanted us to get out there and get that practical experience.
Without the support of tutors encouraging me to explore work experience opportunities, I would never have had a CV that stood out to employers.
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“My first role after graduation was in the drama casting team at the BBC, and I then spent seven years as a theatrical agent. After getting involved as a volunteer with the Variety Club, at a time when the idea of celebrity and talent manager in charities was still in its infancy, I was hired by RNLI to manage its VIP relationships. In 2013, I moved to Macmillan to head up the team that looks after existing ambassadors, and cultivates new celebrity relationships.
Profile
Paul Cullen BA (Hons) Communication Studies, 1996
Just in the last few weeks I’ve worked with actresses Alison Steadman, Brenda Blethyn and Julie Walters, EastEnders star Larry Lamb, former Miss Moneypenny Samantha Bond, and international fashion designer David Emanuel.
“Without the support of tutors encouraging me to explore work experience opportunities, I would never have had a CV that stood out to employers. This has motivated me to keep my relationship with Edge Hill going and I really enjoy going back. The place is almost unrecognisable from when I studied there and it is great to see the University doing so incredibly well.
“It was a great community and the fact that I am still in contact with so many people is testament to that. I have lots of affection for Edge Hill, and always will.”
Alumni Catch-Up Day 2015
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As well as the opportunity to reminisce over a BBQ in the sunshine and explore the ever-changing campus with current students, guests also enjoyed a pop-up archive, which told the story of Edge Hill’s journey from local teacher training college to nationally recognised university.
Celebrations continued into the evening with a drinks reception and DJ in the Students’ Union bar, complete with a photo booth to capture new memories and a very popular metre-high drink dispensing ice sculpture in the shape of a graduate!
The Alumni Catch-Up Day is an annual event where former students can reconnect with the University and get reacquainted with old friends. The Alumni Team can also offer support and advice on organising reunions, and can help publicise the event and find the perfect location to host your event.
If you would like further information, please contact the Alumni Team on 01695 654371 or email: alumni@edgehill.ac.uk.
Catch Up
dge Hill welcomed more than 300 former students back to campus for a special Alumni Catch-Up Day to celebrate winning University of the Year in the 10th annual Times Higher Education (THE) Awards.
Feature
Game of (student) life
Forget Mayfair and Old Kent Road, board game fans can now buy the Arts Centre, Founders Court or even the SU Bar as part of Edge Hill’s very own Monopoly game. he special edition of the board game, based on the best-loved places around campus, was launched last year to mark the ‘University of the Year Award’.
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Hale Hall and the Main Building are the highest valued properties, and players can also buy transport-related facilities like the Edge Link bus and Ormskirk station. Community Chest and Chance cards are still 26
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part of the Edge Hill game, but instead of winning or losing money through bank dividends or sale of stock, players are awarded a scholarship or made to buy pizza for their housemates. Even the famous Edge Hill wildlife feature in the game, with ‘ducks blocking path’ forcing players to go back three spaces!
A free copy of the game was placed in the communal room in each Hall of Residence and in the recently opened pop-up games café in Sages restaurant. It is already proving a big hit with students, with many taking to social media to show their appreciation. Ellie Swindehurst said: “You know you’ve got a 10/10 uni when you get your own Monopoly delivered to your kitchen”, while Mark Roberts added: “This is why my uni is better than yours. Free Monopoly!”
What began life as an amusing diversion for students has proved so popular that Edge Hill has now made the game available to alumni.
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You know you’ve got a 10/10 uni when you get your own Monopoly delivered to your kitchen.
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Edge Hill Monopoly costs £25 and can be bought from the SU shop on campus or online at: edgehillsu.org.uk/eshop.
Laura Owen always knew a regular operating theatre job wasn’t for her, so when the opportunity to join an organ transplant and retrieval unit came up, she jumped at the chance to take on one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs in the NHS. had only been in the job for two months when I got my first call-out. It was 2am and I had to join the team to fly out to Belfast to retrieve an organ from someone who had died and transport it back to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, where I’m based, for transplant. I didn’t know what to expect and I was running on adrenaline. It was exhausting but also really exciting. You learn something new each time you go out as no two jobs are the same.
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“I became interested in this specialist area of surgery when the organ retrieval team came to the hospital in Southport where I was on placement. I did some research, visited the team in Newcastle and kept in touch, so when a job came up they contacted me. I was lucky enough to secure a job before I graduated and I joined the team almost straight away.
“There are only seven abdominal organ retrieval units in the UK so we are busy all the time. My role involves working a normal 37.5-hour week in the operating theatre at the Freeman Hospital, scrubbing
for elective liver and hepatobiliary surgery, plus two or three ‘on call’ periods a week, when I can be called out to anywhere at any time of the day or night for organ retrieval or transplant. Retrieval jobs can add 8-10 hours on top of a full day at work, as we not only cover our region but also go as far as Northern Ireland and the
As it’s such a niche job, it’s difficult to prepare yourself before you start. You tend to learn on the job. However, the core skills I learnt on my course have been invaluable.
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Isle of Man. It can be tiring and it does limit what you can do in your free time, as you have to be ready to drop everything and go, but it’s very rewarding. I’m getting so much experience as well as the opportunity to work with highly qualified people on some of the most complex and intricate operations.
Profile
Laura Owen BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice, 2015
“As it’s such a niche job, it’s difficult to prepare yourself before you start. You tend to learn on the job. However, the core skills I learnt on my course have been invaluable. The programme constantly introduces you to new ideas and ways of working and provides insights into a range of specialist surgeries, so if you’re keen and confident enough following your three years training, these skills can be applied to any speciality.
“I’ve recently applied to be a mentor for students doing placements at the Freeman Hospital. I received a lot of support as a student so it’s good to be able to help other people looking to go into the same area. At the moment I’m concentrating on progressing in my career but I would like to eventually do a Masters and enhance my learning further.”
Research
Tackling the Stigma of Suicide A life-saving mental health project is having a major impact on the care and treatment of vulnerable people in one of the world’s worst suicide hotspots.
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he two-year project, which is funded by THET (Tropical Health and Education Trust) who manage grants under the Department for International Development (DFiD) funded Health Partnership Scheme, is delivered by Edge Hill University in collaboration with CSI Holdsworth Memorial Hospital in Mysore and Mysore Medical College and Research Institute. It provides mental health interventions for people who have attempted suicide or are at a vulnerable stage in their life.
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A team from the University’s Faculty of Health and Social Care has trained more than 100 general nursing staff to assess for mental health issues, and empowered them to refer patients for psychiatric treatment. The Edge Hill team has also trained 40 nurses to act as trainers for other staff to ensure their knowledge is cascaded throughout the hospitals and the project continues to change lives in the future.
Since the training began in 2015, the number of nurse-led mental health assessments at CSI Holdsworth Memorial Hospital has risen from fewer than 50 per month to more than 150,
and there has been a 63 per cent increase in psychiatric referrals for patients suspected of trying to take their own lives. Steve Jones, Programme Leader at Edge Hill’s Postgraduate Centre, who has led the training programme with Paul Keenan, said:
“In a culture that has so much shame and stigma around mental health issues, and still treats attempted suicide as a criminal offence, the results of this ground-breaking project have been exceptional.
“Not only is collaboration increasing between general hospital staff and psychiatric units, but nurses report feeling more confident about referring patients for mental health assessments. They are starting to ask the right questions when patients are admitted following a suspected suicide attempt so fewer people who need help are being missed. This is a step in the right direction to address the stigma attached to mental health issues in a region of India with the highest suicide rate in the world, according to the World Health Organisation.”
The Edge Hill team has recently returned from Mysore where they were auditing case files to assess the impact of the project.
“We have had anecdotal feedback from staff before,” said Steve, “but now we are seeing official records that show that mental health concerns are being addressed alongside physical issues. There is a real change in attitude in the hospitals, and we’re hopeful that this will continue after the project finishes in September.”
Dr Murali Krishna, a consultant psychiatrist at Holdsworth Memorial Hospital who has worked closely with the Edge Hill team, visited the University in May to share the latest project developments.
“The spirit of the collaboration is that the UK and India can learn from each other,” said Steve. “Dr Krishna’s visit will help to strengthen relationships between our institutions and ensure we continue to share best practice around mental health care.”
“In a culture that has so much shame and stigma around mental health issues, and still treats attempted suicide as a criminal offence, the results of this groundbreaking project have been exceptional.”
Complex Care is Better at Home
A new facility at Edge Hill University is helping parents to care for children with complex medical needs at home, reducing time spent in hospital and improving family life.
he practical skills needed to nurse a seriously ill child around the clock – with all the unexpected crises it can bring – can test even the most confident parents, but most families would still rather have their child with them at home, despite the challenges.
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The Better at Home Suite, developed by Edge Hill in collaboration with the national charity WellChild, is the first facility in the UK to train families in the skills needed to look after children with complex medical needs in their own homes. Designed to look and feel like a real house, the facility offers a realistic home environment which gives families opportunities to
learn and practice a range of key complex skills, within a supportive and safe environment and facilitates the transition from hospital to home.
As well as bespoke training by highly skilled professionals using interactive resources, including realistic baby and child simulator manikins, families can also access online learning
Feature tools in areas such as tracheostomy care, gastrostomy care, oxygen, suction and care of the longterm ventilated (LTV) child.
Hayley Smallman from Liverpool, a parent advisor for WellChild, was one of the first to try out the new facility, which was officially opened by Edge Hill Chancellor, Professor Tanya Byron in 2016. As the mother of a 14-year-old daughter, Holly, who has multiple conditions including cerebral palsy, epilepsy and osteoporosis, Hayley knows how vital the Better at Home Suite is for families.
“The first time you have an emergency situation at home, it is terrifying,” says Hayley. “You can try and prepare yourself but without training you can only imagine and try to anticipate what will happen. The training that is available through hospitals is patchy and it can take a long time to gain the range of skills you need, which means your child’s condition could alter or deteriorate while you’re waiting. The Better at Home Suite allows you to do all the training you need in one place which speeds up the process of getting your child home.”
Hayley was also impressed with the way the Suite can help siblings understand and help with the care of their brother or sister. She says:
“Bringing a lot of strange, noisy equipment into the home can be frightening for other children in the family and they may feel scared and helpless when difficult situations arise. The Better at Home Suite addresses the emotional needs of siblings and prepares them for realities of having a seriously ill child at home.
“Parents like us have needed this facility for so long. Caring for a child with complex medical needs is a huge responsibility and carrying out life-saving techniques almost every day is scary. I would have felt so much more confident if we’d had this when Holly was a baby. I’m so pleased Edge Hill and WellChild had the vision to see the gap in care and develop this project. It will help and empower so many families who are just starting out on their journey. I can’t praise it highly enough.”
Dr Anita Flynn, Associate Head Nurse Education: Research, Innovation and Enterprise, Child Lead, said:
“As well as supporting families like the Smallmans, the Better at Home Suite is also an excellent teaching resource for the University. When not being used by families, the facility is available for pre-registration child field nurse training, again providing valuable opportunities to practice key skills within a simulated home environment.”
“I’m so pleased Edge Hill and WellChild had the vision to see the gap in care and develop this project. It will help and empower so many families who are just starting out on their journey. I can’t praise it highly enough.”
Profile
Alison Hunt BA (Hons) Communication and Media Studies, 2000
fter graduating I worked in radio, as a journalist for the BBC, and then as a stay at home mum, before deciding I wanted to embark on a career in TV. Every time I’ve ever wanted to work in a new job, or break into a new career, I’ve started shadowing someone already in that job and volunteering to build experience, so that’s exactly what I did when I decided I wanted to work for Coronation Street.
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“I contacted the ITV offices and was given a chance to cover the researcher role for a few weeks. In my first day on the job I had to ring vets to find out ways to kill off Schmeichel the dog! I cried for the whole day, I felt completely out of my depth. But I kept going back in each morning, even though everyone around me couldn’t understand why. I knew this was the career I wanted and it was worth going through.
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Perseverance and a willingness to start at the bottom have taken graduate Alison Hunt from the lecture theatres of Edge Hill to the iconic cobbles of Coronation Street as a Script Editor. “Since starting out as a voluntary researcher, I have worked my way up through the ranks at the soap to the role of Script Editor. I work really closely with the writers on developing the stories, making sure the dialogue flows, getting the script ready for the shoot and making sure that the timings for the scenes fit our 22minute time slot. Once we’re on the shoot I have to be on hand to work with the cast if there are any dialogue changes, explaining parts of the script and doing quick rewrites if there are any last-minute edits.
I think for anyone wanting to break into the TV industry, or any other industry for that matter, it’s important to get your foot in the door and be eager once you do.
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“There are lots of long hours and late nights reviewing scripts but I love it and the social side is great. I worked on the Corrie Live episode and have also been to the TV Choice awards.
“I think for anyone wanting to break into the TV industry, or any other industry for that matter, it’s important to get your foot in the door and be eager once you do. Start at the bottom and have enough faith in your ability to work your way up. It’s important to be persistent to get your first opportunity and then make yourself invaluable, find out what everyone does, be friendly, don’t be too proud to spend the first few days making cups of tea, and don’t listen to people when they question why you’re doing it – say yes to the opportunities that come your way and take a chance.”
He describes Edge Hill University as his second home, so it’s no surprise that teacher Faisal Ahmed has ended up working at his alma mater.
ince graduating in 2011 I’ve stayed in close contact with Edge Hill. In fact, I’ve never really been away since I finished my PGCE. As well as organising the University’s annual Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) conferences, I also spoke to current students, took part in a curriculum mentoring scheme and sat on the Teacher Training Review Board.
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“It sounds like a cliché but I simply want to give something back to Edge Hill. I get so much from my ongoing connection with the University. I share my experiences with the PGCE students at workshops and get emails from them saying, ‘I tried what you said and it works.’ It is so good to see that people try your tips and techniques and that they come to fruition. Events like the conferences also give me a mental break, away from planning lessons and data spreadsheets.
“I originally did a degree in Law but, although I loved the subject, I feared I wouldn’t enjoy it as a career. So I followed my mum, brother, sister and cousins into teaching and have never looked back. My first teaching placement was at Stretford High School in Manchester. After graduation, I was offered a job there and now head up the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. Through my continuing close relationship with Edge Hill, my school was selected as a pilot school for a new research project being conducted by academics in the Faculty of Education, which I’m so pleased my department will be involved in.
Since graduating in 2011 I’ve stayed in close contact with Edge Hill. In fact, I’ve never really been away.
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Profile
Faisal Ahmed PGCE, 2011
“I am about to start work as a part-time Associate Tutor at Edge Hill and I’m also studying for a Masters degree. The role is flexible so I can still maintain my duties at Stretford High while also fitting in my studies. I’m really looking forward to the new challenge!”
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n Animation graduate from Edge Hill University has helped bring cult children’s classic Clangers back to life as Art Director for the revival of the 70s TV show.
Jamie Stockley became a freelance artist after graduating from Edge Hill in 2009 with a degree in Stop-Motion Animation. It was while working for Altrinchambased Factory Animations in 2014 that he started a project for CBeebies on the reboot of the 1970s classic Clangers.
Jamie, who comes from St Helens, said: “To work on a project so loved by the British public was an honour. Clangers was a benchmark for British children’s animation; a true icon of the age that resonates through all ages to this day. We used all modern techniques possible but still stayed true to the original. We approached this project as series three in a classic series rather than reboot.”
As Art Director for the Clangers production, Jamie had responsibility for creating sets, props and characters, with the exception of the actual knitted Clangers, which were created by a separate company. He also had to read through scripts and work with the director to identify any props he might need to design for upcoming episodes.
While studying at Edge Hill, Jamie was given the Paul Cannon Media Award for best film, presented to the media student whose final show reel demonstrates flair and charisma.
Profile
Animation Career is Child’s Play
He said: “Studying animation at Edge Hill, helped me combine my passion and the qualifications I gained at College with art and computers. Working with the lecturers I gained industry techniques and knowledge of how the world of animation works. Using this platform to make short films for assignments helped me develop the skills I needed to work in the animation industry.”
After the Clangers project finished, Jamie continued to build his profile in children’s TV, working on series two of the Cbeebies show Twirlywoos for Manchester-based animation company Mackinnon and Saunders. He is currently back at Factory Animations working on the CBBC production Scream Street.
“In between contracts I have also been in talks with a studio in London with the possibility of working on the new Wes Anderson animated film,” added Jamie, “so who knows where my degree will take me next.” Follow Jamie on Twitter @JamSplodge
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Studying animation at Edge Hill helped me combine my passion and the qualifications I gained at College with art and computers.
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Feature
Step Back in Time
Two Edge Hill business graduates have created a travel company with a historical twist, taking people back in time to the battlefields of the two World Wars. 36
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areth Abbott and Nick Walmsley, who graduated in 2014, have launched Esprit Tour Services, which offers bespoke tours to the historic, wartime sites of Europe, allowing people to walk in their ancestors’ footsteps and educating visitors of all ages about the realities of war.
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The tours are individually tailored to suit groups as small as two, up to school groups and coach parties, and to ensure the experience is open to all, the duo have also set up a Community Interest Company to allow schoolchildren who may be suffering financial hardship to take part.
Gareth and Nick met while completing a Graduate Enterprise module which saw them working together on a project that involved setting up a real company. They became friends and discovered a mutual love of history.
Nick says: “Gareth’s been going out to the battlefields in Europe with his family for many years. I love history and remember my own school trips and the impact they had on me. We decided setting up as a bespoke tour operator would combine those passions.”
The Liverpool-based company recently demonstrated its commitment to inclusion by organising a very special trip for St Vincent’s School in Liverpool, taking a group that included visually impaired children and blind veterans out to the historic sites.
“This trip was particularly poignant,” explains Nick, “as several charities that assist people with visual impairments were set up as a result of the First World War to help veterans who had their sight damaged from the first major gas attack in Ypres in 1915.”
The pair are actively planning for the future of their company, and hope to use their ambitions to help people secure their own futures.
“When Esprit Tour Services was established,” says Nick, “one of the main goals was to reduce the number of unemployed exmilitary personnel, by creating job opportunities in battlefield tour guiding. As the business grows we will continue to achieve this goal by creating as many job opportunities for local people as possible.”
Both Nick and Gareth believe their Edge Hill experience had a positive impact on their new career.
“We always knew we wanted to run our own company. Our degree courses gave us the skills, as well as the practicalities like legal requirements, marketing and knowing how to present yourself, and even helped us understand the administration paperwork involved with registering a company.
“The tutors became more like friends. We couldn’t have done it without them and we can always go back to them for help and advice.”
Feature
Edge Hill students are getting a unique insight into the publishing industry with the launch of EHU Press, the University’s own literary imprint, a four-year project that builds on the University’s already strong reputation in the literary world.
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he joint venture with Glasgowbased publisher Freight Books follows the success of the Edge Hill Prize for the Short Story, the only award in the UK to recognise a single authored short story collection by British and Irish writers. Run by a team of student interns, EHU Press will publish four books, the first of which is an anthology of stories by previous winners of the Short Story Prize. Head Land: The Best of the Edge Hill Short Story Prize is due to be launched at the prestigious Edinburgh International Book Festival to coincide with the Prize’s tenth anniversary in 2016.
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“This is a very exciting project for everyone involved,” says author and Creative Writing Programme Leader, Rodge Glass, who co-directs EHU Press with fellow academic and poet, James Byrne. “It’s a great opportunity for students to take responsibility for all aspects of publishing a book and gives them direct contact with internationally renowned authors and publishers. It also gives us authenticity as a Creative Writing department and demonstrates Edge Hill’s active engagement with industry.”
John Rutter, who is in the final year of a Creative Writing and English PhD, is managing the six-strong team of student volunteers. With 25 years experience in marketing and consultancy, John is skilled at managing large-scale projects but admits EHU Press represents a new challenge for him.
“The team is a mixture of undergraduate and postgraduate students and, for most of us, this is our first experience of working in the publishing industry so we’re all learning as we go along,” he said. “Each student has a particular role, from liaising with authors and agents to organising publicity and events to creating our website and managing social media.
“There is a lot of co-ordination involved in putting together a collection of 26 short stories and it’s very time-consuming, especially when you’re in your final year as a couple of us are, but it is great for our CVs. The opportunity to gain direct exposure to the publishing industry and benefit from their experience is invaluable. Hopefully, it might encourage some of the interns to follow careers in publishing or take the leap into short story writing themselves.
“I’ve recently secured a job as an Associate Tutor on the Creative Writing course at Edge Hill,” added John, “and working on EHU Press has given me a new appreciation of the short story which I intend to share with my students.”
Harriet Hirshman 3rd year student, BA (Hons) Creative Writing and Film Studies
Harriet is part of the EHU Press events team with responsibility for arranging a book tour to accompany the launch of Head Land.
“When I was first given my role I didn’t even know where to start. I’ve been involved in organising medical conferences in a previous job but this was a totally new challenge. So I Googled ‘book tour’ and went from there.
“Since then I’ve learnt a lot, mainly through trial and error, and have now made contact with several venues, literary festivals and events. You don’t get any hand-holding, you have to use your initiative from day one and that means you build up skills very quickly. I’ve gone from being quite a shy person to someone who can approach people with confidence and start talking.
“It can be quite stressful, particularly when I’ve had coursework to do and exams to prepare for, but I’m really glad to be doing the internship. It has given me so many opportunities to develop new skills, talk to people and just get myself out there. I’ve met some really interesting people and learned so much about publishing, events and writing that will definitely be useful in the future.” Harriet is planning to apply for an MA in Creative Writing at Edge Hill after graduation.
Profile gained a first class degree in Animation, and then went on to complete a Secondary PGCE in Applied Art and Design. I knew Edge Hill offered everything I needed for a varied and successful Higher Education experience, so there wasn’t a doubt in my mind about staying on.
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“The quality of the staff was a huge part of my choice. I wanted to train on a course with enthusiastic and knowledgeable lecturers that constantly have their fingers on the pulse and know about any changes that happen. Not only do they know about those changes, they then implement them on your course to ensure that you stay up to date and employable. The friendly support and advice that you get from the lecturers, day or night, was brilliant.
Kurt Tutty BA (Hons) Animation, 2011; Secondary PGCE, Applied Art and Design, 2012
For graduate Kurt Tutty, the combination of knowledgeable tutors and practical, hands-on experience made Edge Hill University the only place to continue his studies. “Both courses were very interesting and practical. The best bits were first hand, personal experiences, we’d visit places off campus, have guest lecturers brought in or go to animation festivals for inspiration.
“Since graduation, I have become an art teacher at a secondary school in St Helens. Due to circumstances, I was acting as Head of Department within my first year at the school so I had to learn the ropes quickly. During that time, I mentored two new trainee teachers and both now have permanent full-time teaching jobs. I am now fully qualified, having successfully completed my NQT year, and I’m looking after another trainee, as well as teaching GCSE and A-Level art classes. I plan to incorporate more of my animation degree into the classroom, and hope to start an after school club based around 2D animation.”
The quality of the staff was a huge part of my choice. I wanted to train on a course with enthusiastic and knowledgeable lecturers that constantly have their fingers on the pulse and know about any changes that happen.
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We’d love to hear what you’re up to in your career, email us at alumni@edgehill.ac.uk to let us know. 40
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Alcohol was once something that former professional chef Alan Price used in his creative cooking. Now the Edge Hill University graduate is continuing his academic career by carrying out a study into the darker side of drinking in a life-changing research project for his PhD. is research will examine the effects of foetal alcohol syndrome and neglect. It will look at how children born with the syndrome can suffer birth defects, as well as cognitive and behavioural problems, and the wider issues which can affect their long-term wellbeing.
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“Often alcoholic mothers will have problems after they have given birth and, because of this, their children can end up being neglected. This study will research a range of disorders, using psychology and public health information, to see how early childhood neglect can cause problems in later life. There can be similar effects of neglect and foetal alcohol syndrome and it can be difficult to separate the root causes of those problems – this study at the University of Salford aims to pick those apart.”
Alan was a chef for 15 years so came later to university. He did an access course at college in Southport and chose Edge Hill for his Psychology degree because the course and the campus location fitted in with his two young children.
“I had always had an interest in psychology,” says Alan, “and, particularly, the research side of academia.
“During the first year of my degree at Edge Hill I worked as a research assistant. It was something I was keen to do – it seemed to match my skills and it felt like I was doing something important that could help people. I learnt a lot about research processes and went on to help a research student with their data collection. I’ve built long standing relationships too – my research supervisor became my undergraduate dissertation supervisor.”
During the first year of my degree at Edge Hill I worked as a research assistant. It was something I was keen to do – it seemed to match my skills and it felt like I was doing something important that could help people.
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Profile
Alan Price Bsc (Hons) Psychology, 2015
Alan also says being a mature student at Edge Hill was a hugely enjoyable experience. “I was one of the oldest students on my course,” he adds. “I think I was 32 at the time. “I would definitely recommend it. There’s a real community feel and I really enjoyed my time there.
“Something else that Edge Hill taught me is that you have to find a subject and a job that interests you. Before my degree, I was going into work thinking ‘not another day of this…’ Now I look forward to every minute of my research. The idea of finding things that no-one has ever found about before really encourages and excites me.”
Employability
Graduates on Track for Success Two of Edge Hill’s first Graduate Teaching Assistants have been awarded their PhDs and are now using their teaching and research skills in their first academic jobs.
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ollie Jones and Emily Williams were part of the University’s inaugural cohort of Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs), who were introduced in 2012 to build research capacity and cultivate new research talent. Living on campus, the students were awarded bursaries to focus on relatively new research areas that haven’t been explored in depth by other academics within their fields.
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Both Hollie and Emily researched cycling time trials for their PhDs. Hollie’s research concerned the effects of deception on pacing strategy, perceptual responses and performance during cycling time trials, while Emily focused on the influence of competitor presence on pacing regulation and performance during cycling time trials.
During their three years at Edge Hill, Hollie and Emily also completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education, and through this, gained a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. These two awards combined with their PhD and the handson teaching experience they gained at Edge Hill provided an excellent foundation for an academic career.
“I didn’t realise how good an opportunity it was until I started applying for academic posts,” said Hollie Jones, who has recently moved from University of Leeds to start a new job as a Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at UCLAN.
“Lecturing posts are increasingly asking for teaching qualifications so having that on my CV was definitely a big factor in getting interviews as most candidates don’t get teaching experience as part of their PhD. The GTA role, with its emphasis on teaching practice and research, allowed me to tick all the boxes on job specifications.
“The GTA role really builds your confidence,” added Hollie. “When I took my first lecture I was only just beyond undergraduate level and only slightly older than a lot of the students. We started off shadowing lecturers and were slowly given more responsibility and lots of feedback. We were fully supported all the way through.”
Emily also went straight into a lecturing post after graduation, securing a job as a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Physiology at Leeds Beckett University.
“As a GTA I was already familiar with planning and delivering lectures, marking and admin so, although it was daunting going into my first job, I felt prepared to deliver lectures and practical sessions from day one.
“The fact that Hollie and I were both based in Leeds to start with really helped. We’d spent three years together at Edge Hill so it was nice to have that academic and social support nearby. It also allowed us to continue collaborating on our research and we are currently working on a joint project on pacing strategies with colleagues from Edge Hill, Liverpool John Moores University and Leeds Trinity University.”
Both Hollie and Emily spoke to the latest GTA recruits at the beginning of their journey to offer advice and support, and Emily is currently training to supervise her own PhD students. She said: “It’s great to be able to build my skills by mentoring the new crop of GTAs and give them tips and guidance that will help them in the future.”
My Edge Hill
Mike Rush
Profession: CEO, St Helens RFC
Studied: BSC Geography and Sports Studies (1997), PGCE Physical Education (1998) Accommodation: Forest Court Graduating class of 1998
rom coaching the youth team on muddy fields to the boardroom, Mike Rush’s path to CEO of St Helens R.F.C. isn’t a traditional one.
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Mike has spent 17 years at his hometown club after completing his degree and PGCE at Edge Hill in 1998. In that time he has held virtually every role possible, and seen the team move from the Victorian Knowsley Road stadium to state-of-the-art Langtree Park in 2012.
Mike showed his passion for Rugby League throughout his time at Edge Hill, and it was through support from the University that he was able to take the trip of a lifetime.
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“I was involved in a lot of the sports teams while I studied, not just rugby but college football and cricket as well – not Rugby Union though, I didn’t go that far,” he laughs. “When they announced that the 1996 Student World Cup was being held here, Edge Hill’s funding helped me take part and it made the biggest difference – I’ve always remembered that.”
“The thing I loved about studying at Edge Hill was the size of the place, everyone knew everyone. It was the perfect step for me after leaving Sixth Form. It’s great to see how it looks today and to see all of the investment that’s been made, and to see the campus looking so lovely, big and bright.”
“After I graduated I was teaching and then decided to go travelling with a couple of uni mates. It was while we were travelling that St Helens called me up to ask if I’d come home and coach at the Academy. If I hadn’t had the call I’d probably still be teaching PE now.”
Since cutting his trip short Mike has worked his way up through the club’s hierarchy from starting off working with the youth team to a highly successful stint as Head of Youth and High Performance. In 2012, he steadied the ship as Head Coach of the first team for a season, bringing the team back from the brink after a series of disastrous results had seen the previous manager leave the club.
born “andI was bred in St Helens, Rugby League is part of life here, it’s part of your blood.
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“I’ve seen the club change so much in the time I’ve been here. The most obvious change is the stadium, but even when you look at the training facilities, in just a few years we’ve moved from an old shackled outbuilding to state-of-the-art facilities.”
“The biggest challenge when I became CEO was to stop the club from making a loss each year and to get into a position where we can turn a profit and reinvest in the team.”
Since becoming CEO in 2012 Mike has been part of the team that has turned club’s fortunes around, bringing in the cash flow necessary to reinvest in the facility and its players.
He was part of the leadership team that moved into the 18,000 capacity Langtree Park, a £25 million stadium in the heart of St Helens that has helped turn the club into a profit-making business.
“We need to remain at the forefront of our sport and get the club into a position where we can compete with the best clubs in Australia. If we can do that while making sure we still give local lads opportunities to break into the first team, and make money as a business then I’ll be happy.”
Living memories
Sadly, John Wilde, one of the first men to lecture in Physical Education at Edge Hill University, died last year on July 18th aged 89. John had retired in 1984 and will be sadly missed.
I began my Edge Hill experience seven years ago. I completed a foundation degree then a degree in teaching, learning and mentoring in which I got a first. I did not stop there, because of the tutoring and mentoring support I embarked on a Masters in education which I finished this September. I have had some of the best Education, support and inspiration of my life. Edge Hill is the only place to achieve your dreams.
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Janet Aspey
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We asked you to tell us about your favourite memories from your time at Edge Hill.
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I graduated in December 2014, and my favourite memory of my time at Edge Hill is how helpful the staff were. In particular Dr Chris Beaumont, who supported me when I desperately needed help during my dissertation - he even replied to my emails during the weekend which I think was outstanding. My university experience has made me who I am today, and words alone can't describe how privileged I feel to be part of Edge Hill University.
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Mirjam Lasarus
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Memories of Edge Hill On Facebook
One time I was walking across campus to one of my friends who lived in the halls near the pond. I was carrying a sneaky bottle of vodka for later and the ducks heard my Asda bag rustling as I walked by and started attacking my bag thinking there was food in it.
Driving along the road to Edge Hill after the holidays and seeing the water tower and then the gates and the overwhelming feeling of being home, heading to the pigeon holes hoping for a note (it's what we did before mobile phones were invented) ...and Decs night of course!
Going and feeding the ducks on the pond behind Lancs Hall at 3 or 4am and waking everyone up. Revenge for someone setting the fire alarm off at midnight on a Friday or Wednesday in our halls. My favourite memories by far though, are doing the play scheme every summer, and going back to do it for several years after I'd graduated too.
Kicking the jukebox to keep The Waterboys 'Whole of the moon' going as it was pretty worn out….oh and Acropolis burgers too!
Jess Bockman
Celeste Pettifer
Decs night 1988 in John Dalton top floor. The 3rd years had used the foil strips that milk bottle lids are cut out of. You cut your nose if you caught them wrong! Catherine Hardman
Anne Earnshaw née Hartly, who attended Edge Hill University to study English and Rural Studies from 1962-65, has sadly passed away.
Cass Davenport
Peter Haley
Spent some great times in the girls’ halls for the three years 75 to 78. Still have some good friendships after nearly 40 years. Paul Restall
I remember when the snow was so thick in '63/'64 that people skied down the mounds at the back of E.M. Butterworth Hall. Sandria Pickering
Hanging smelly cheese out of the windows in a plastic bag as we did not have fridges! Susan Turnbull Watson
We asked you for songs which make you think of your time at EHU…
Take That-Never Forget Monkees-Daydream Believer Cupid-Cupid Shuffle Slade-Merry Xmas Everyone (Decs Night) The Foundations- Build Me Up Buttercup Robbie Williams – Angels House of Pain – Jump Around Reef – Place Your Hands James – Sit Down Chumbawumba – Tubthumping S Club – Reach The Killers – Mr Brightside
Alumni benefits
The fun doesn’t have to end when you graduate. As a member of our alumni community you can still be part of University life and access a wide range of benefits and services to help you plan your career, undertake further study or keep in touch with us and each other.
Free online journal access Free access to online journals plus use of our libraries and study facilities.
Postgraduate fee reduction Save 20 per cent on tuition fees for a range of postgraduate programmes.
Sports Centre membership reduction Graduates qualify for the Corporate rate at the new Sports Centre which includes access to the fitness suite, swimming pool and sessions in the Get Active programme.
Alumni Catch-Up Day See the latest developments on campus and re-live your student days.
Help with reunions Help with locating old friends, publicising your event and finding venues on campus. During our summer Catch-Up Day you can even stay in our Halls of Residence.
Campus events Career fairs, workshops, networking events and academic conferences – as well as many opportunities for Continuing Professional Development.
Keeping in touch Regular e-newsletters and Alumni magazine (online and hard copy) to keep you up-to-date with what’s going on at Edge Hill.
Alumni Team, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, L39 4QP
t: 01695 654371 e: alumni@edgehill.ac.uk w: edgehill.ac.uk/alumni f: facebook.com/ehualumni t: twitter.com/edgehill